ARISING ISSUES: Native American group blasts Chiefs for ‘mocking our culture,’ calls team’s ‘end racism’ message ‘ironic’ and start “name-change campaign”

ARISING ISSUES: Native American group blasts Chiefs for ‘mocking our culture,’ calls team’s ‘end racism’ message ‘ironic’ and start “name-change campaign”

A Native American organization, the “Not In Our Honor” Coalition, protested the Kansas City Chiefs’ namesake before Monday’s game because they believe the team is “mocking our culture.”

Rhonda LeValdo, the originator of “Not In Our Honor,” spoke with Fox News Digital about why the group wanted to be at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium before the game versus the Las Vegas Raiders, particularly on Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

“It is terrible that even though we have won a win with the renaming of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the true history of this country, which we celebrate, but we still have to deal with the KC football club promoting a racist caricature all over the world and laughing our culture,” LeValdo explained.

“Those outside our country believe we like it and approve, therefore we wanted to be there tonight to show the team and fans that we do not approve of this and that they should stop appropriating our culture. The statement they (KC) issued is meaningless because they have never interacted with us or the KC Indian Center, except with their own group that agrees. I’d like to know who this national organization they’re working with is, because the National Congress of American Indians issued a resolution calling them out.

“KC understands what they are doing is bad; they have prohibited headdresses and face paint, but it is still discriminatory. The entire statement on the helmets is ironic: stop hate and end racism; do they not realize they are being prejudiced against one specific race of people by performing the chop?

“We needed to be there to stand for all our Indigenous family that objects to their cultural appropriation, and we are always glad to represent our people.”

LeValdo is referring to the Chiefs’ statement, which was issued earlier Monday in recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

“Today the Chiefs organization joins people all across the country in recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a chance to honor and celebrate American Indian peoples, histories and cultures,” the statement went on to say. “We continue to engage in crucial conversations with local and national groups to seek ways to educate ourselves and our fans about American Indian communities and their rich traditions. We are excited to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, November 27, when we play the Los Angeles Rams.”

As LeValdo mentioned, the Chiefs banned Native American-themed headdresses, costumes, and face painting two seasons ago. Following the Chiefs’ announcement, the National Congress of American Indians published a statement in 2020, expressing optimism that the team will take it as a starting point for future changes.

“NCAI sees the Kansas City Chiefs’ announced changes as positive but modest first steps in a long and ongoing educational process that will eventually lead to comprehensive change, change that values the humanity, diversity, resilience, and vibrancy of tribal nations, cultures, and peoples. We will continue to support this process as long as the team and the NFL are committed to actually listening and learning,” the website declared on September 10, 2020.

“Not In Our Honor” is a Native American student group at Haskell University and the University of Kansas that has been contesting the Chiefs’ namesake for quite some time.

One of these appeared during the 2021 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a fly-over banner that said, “Change the Name and Stop the Chop!”.

The Chiefs, like the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Blackhawks, are among the few remaining clubs with Native American names. Due to public backlash, teams such as the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have altered their names.

The Chiefs said that their moniker honors H. Roe Bartle, who was dubbed “Chief.”

He was mayor of Kansas City in the early 1960s, and the organization chose to recognize him because he was “instrumental in attracting Lamar Hunt’s American Football League franchise, the Dallas Texans, to Kansas City in 1963.”

The Chiefs maintained that the origin had no connection to American Indian culture, despite the fact that’much of the club’s early commercial campaigns relied largely on images and message depicting American Indians in a racially offensive approach.”

“The Chiefs organization has worked to eliminate this offensive imagery and other forms of cultural appropriation in their promotional materials and game-day presentation.”

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